494 



Imports of Agricultural Produce. 



United States sending us 373,610 ewt, less than in that year, 

 a falling off which is not counterbalanced by an increase from 

 Canada. The value per cwt. of imported hams still continues 

 to rise, the price being 55s. id. in 1903, as against 52s. id. in 

 1902, 48s. 8d. in 1 90 1, 46s. 9|d. in 1900, and 41s. 4^d. in 1899. 



The chief feature in Table 1 1., which contains the figures for 

 dairy produce, margarine, and eggs, is the continued rise in the 

 imports of butter and eggs, larger quantities of both of these 

 commodities having been received than in any previous year. 



Table II. 



Imports of Dairy Produce, Margarine and Eggs. 



Description. 



Quantities. 



Value. 



1902. 



1903. 



1902. 



1903. 





Cwt. 



Cwt. 



£ 



£ 



Butter 



3,974,933 



4,060,684 



20,526,690 



20,798,706 



Margarine 



966,170 



883.193 



2-569,503 



2,316,354 



Cheese ... 



2,546,212 



2,694,214 



6,412,002 



7,054,305 



Milk, Condensed 



914,675 



915,86 



1,807,351 



1,739,078 



Milk and Cream, Fresh.. 



22,030 



22,587 



37,613 



41,176 





Gt. Hundreds 



Gt. Hundreds 







Eggs 



18,966,795 



19,848,897 



6,308,985 



6,617,619 



The imports of butter show an increase of 85,751 cwt., and 

 Denmark still remains our chief source of supply. The rise in 

 the imports from Russia, which has been a feature of the two 

 previous years, was not continued in 1903, 5,763 cwt. less being 

 received from her than in 1902. Increased amounts have been 

 received from Denmark, Sweden, France, Victoria, New South 

 Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand, but there has been a 

 heavy fall in the receipts from Canada, 100,301 cwt. less being 

 received than in 1902. The total amount of butter imported 

 from our Colonies was 554,677 cwt., being over 13 per cent, of 

 our total import. The average value of the imports of butter 

 was 102s. 5d., as compared with 103s. 4d. in 1902 and 104s. 3d. 

 in 1901. There was a decrease of 82,977 cwt. in the imports of 

 margarine, the falling off being mainly from Holland, which, 

 however, still supplies us with 95 per cent, of our imported 

 margarine. In cheese, Canada still maintains her lead, sending 

 us 1,848,152 cwt., or 69 per cent, of the total importation. 



